ten-strike

== English == === Alternative forms === tenstrike === Etymology === From ten + strike. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtɛn.stɹaɪk/ === Noun === ten-strike (plural ten-strikes) (bowling, dated) A strike; the knocking down of all ten pins with one delivery of the ball. (US, informal, dated) Any quick, decisive stroke or act. (twelve-step programs, slang) A perfectly chosen word or phrase; an exact bit of wording that “solves” a problem (especially in adapting or drafting principles, slogans, or statements). ==== Usage notes ==== In this jargon sense, the term is often applied to “the exact right wording,” and is frequently retold with reference to AA/NA phrasing choices. === References === “ten-strike”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.